Arkaystia in the Maia Song Contest

History
On the 5 June 2016, Natsionalna Teleradiokorporatsiya Arkaystia (NTA) announced that it had been invited to take part in the inaugural Maia Song Contest by the Maia Broadcasting Union, an offer which NTA accepted. NTA have used both internal selection and national finals to choose the song for Arkaystia at the Maia Song Contest. So far the national final, Chant Ka Arkayvizyon has been used eleven times whilst internal selection has been used four times. Steven Kay replaced Natalia Leneko as Head of Delegation after Maia Song Contest 9. Arkaystia currently has the second most wins (3), behind Loafousia (4), most automatic qualifications (10) and most consecutive final appearances (25).

On 28 April 2018, NTA announced that it would no longer be taking charge of the country's participation in the contest, but that it would remain the overarching home of the contest. NTA decided that after 17 editions of hosting, that it would pass on the flame to subsidiary broadcaster MuzykArkaystia (M2), a broadcaster renowned for it's promotion of upcoming artists through its music channel, M2 (Muzykarkaystia). M2 has previously been involved with artist selections in Arkaystia, with Maya Berović, Josef Salvat and Keir originating from the channel's music label, as well as numerous national final acts. The move from NTA does not come as a surprise considering their multiple disputes with the MBU, and is seen as a positive move from the broadcaster. On the same day it was announced that there would be another change at the top, with Helena Karminov announced as the new Head of Delegation. Following the end of M2's contract with the contest, NTA became the host broadcaster once more. Steven Kay also began his second stint as the Head of Delegation as of the 21st contest.

Maia Song Contest 1 - 5
Arkaystia had lots of success throughout the first decade of the contest, including three podium finishes, one of which was a win, and a total of seven top ten finishes. The country was represented by Dua Lipa in the first edition of the contest, finishing in 3rd place. Lipa sang "Hotter Than Hell" which wowed the audience, garnering 98 points in the process and placing the country on the podium. The country automatically qualified for the final of the second edition of the contest after Lipa's success. The Hardkiss were chosen to represent the country with their song "Shadows Of Time" which won Arkayvizyon 2. They finished the contest in 8th place on 100 points. The song went on to become one of the biggest selling tracks in Arkaystia in 2016 and topped the rock charts for 5 straight weeks. Dua Lipa would return to represent the country at Maia Song Contest 3 after her strong win at Arkayvizyon 3 with her song "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)". Arkaystia finished in 8th place for the second year running on 112 points, giving the country its third consecutive top ten finish. In the fourth edition of the contest Arkaystia sent 18 year old Maty Noyes to the contest with her song "In My Mind". Noyes won the semi-final in spectacular fashion gathering 112 points in the process. Noyes entered the final as a hot favourite, but ultimately sunk to 21st place on 85 points, the country's lowest placing to date. Sabina Ddumba won the ticket to represent Arkaystia at Maia Song Contest 5 after winning the national final. She placed 4th in the semi-final with her song "Time". Throughout the final Ddumba led the voting process until being overtaken by former Arkayvizyon contestant DARA on the last set of votes given by neighbouring Zycantia. It was Arkaystia's highest placing at the contest thus far, 2nd. Ddumba garnered 175 votes making it the current highest scoring Arkaystian entry of all time, receiving a total of eight 12 points points in the Grand Final. The song charted at number one in the country for 6 weeks, making it one of the biggest selling tracks of 2016.

Maia Song Contest 6 - 10
Arkaystia automatically qualified for the final of the Maia Song Contest 6 following Sabina Ddumba's 2nd place the previous edition. For the first time the Arkaystian broadcaster, NTA, decided to internally select the entry to represent the country. They chose the alternative rock band, VERIDIA, who sang their song "Still Breathing". They finished in 14th place on 102 points. The mid-table finish saw Arkaystia return to the drawing board for the seventh edition, which saw the return of the national final Arkayvizyon. In a surprising result, Emji represented Arkaystia at the seventh edition, which saw the first time the country was represented with a language other than English, that language being French. Emji scraped into the final after a 9th place semi finish. After an incredible vocal performance at the final of the contest, Emji rocketed up the leader board finishing in a very respectable 10th place, giving Arkaystia its 5th top-ten finish. Arkayvizyon 7 was the national final used to pick the artist for Maia Song Contest 8. The national final saw 14 previous competing acts return for a special All Stars edition. Alex Newell was victorious with his song "This Ain't Over". He qualified for the final after a 3rd place finish in the semis. Newell would open the Grand Final, and ultimately went on to win the contest with 168 points. This was Arkaystia's first win and would bring the contest to Arkaystia the following edition. The ninth edition was hosted in Zemlya Plyazhiv on Arkaystia's southern coast in the Mwangi Arena. The contest was cost-efficient, totalling 15,000,000 ARK to host due to the venue not needing any structural changes. Arkaystia returned to an internal selection for the 9th edition which is believed to have been part of their cost saving initiative, but also because an act had presented a song to the HoD that was seen as befitting the host nation. Hurts, who had previously participated in the Arkaystian national final were chosen to represent the country on home soil. They sang the song "Beautiful Ones", tackling themes of LGBT hate, and how the community can be strong together to overcome adversity. The song finished in 5th place on 117 points, making it the highest placing host nation in the contest to date. The result meant that the country automatically qualified for the final in Maia Song Contest 10, which made Arkaystia the first country to compete in 10 finals, a feat only matched by Björnska. Stella Mwangi was chosen to represent the country following her impressive win in Arkayvizyon 8, and entered the contest as a hot favourite to do well. Despite the hype, Mwangi finished in 17th place with a total of 88 points, the country's second lowest placing to date. The successful decade for Arkaystia would quickly follow through to the next.

Maia Song Contest 11 - 15
Dua Lipa was internally selected to represent the country for the third time at the eleventh edition with her song "New Rules". The song qualified for the final in 2nd place. It went on to win the entire contest with 188 points, making it the joint second highest scoring winner of all time. The win also meant Arkaystia was the first country to win the contest twice. Lipa became enshrined as one of the greatest acts to ever grace the contest, placing in the top ten in each of her three appearances and placing on the podium twice. Maia Song Contest 12 was hosted in Prekysta, the capital of Arkaystia for the first time in the Glomrau Arena, host of the majority of the Arkayvizyon national finals. After winning Arkayvizyon 9 in a tightly run battle, rock duo Muddy Magnolias were chosen to represent the country on home soil with their catchy number, "Devil's Teeth". The duo finished in 3rd place on 135 points, making it the highest placing host entry of all time, beating the previous record also held by Arkaystia when Hurts placed 5th in Maia Song Contest 9. This meant that the country automatically qualified for the final of the thirteenth edition. Maya Berović won Arkayvizyon 10 in style with her anthemic song "Nisam Normalna", which saw the country being represented in a new language, Serbian, native to Berović's roots in Dragonae, in the mountains of the country. Berović finished in a very respectable 10th, with 97 points, giving Arkaystia its third top-ten finish in a row. Her high-octane stage show was received with rave reviews, which showed Berović was an immense performer. The success of a non-English entry inspired the delegation to consider another non-English entry for the fourteenth edition. Josef Salvat was chosen to represent the country following an internal selection process. Salvat had twice previously tried to represent his country through the national finals, but ultimately did not win. His selection came as a surprise to many in Arkaystia, but a very welcome one. He sang his bilingual song "Paradise (Le Paradis Nous Trouvera)", in the second semi-final. It was the second time the country had been represented by a French/English song. Salvat won his semi final in style with 114 points. In the final Salvat sang 21st in the running order, giving a strong live vocal with pulled-back staging. He finished in 3rd place on 134 points, receiving four sets of 12 points in the process. This gave Arkaystia its third podium finish in four editions. Speaking to Radio Odyn, Salvat stated "I'd love to do it all over again. It was the experience of a lifetime. I'm so happy I could represent my country on an international platform." Upcoming artist Keir was internally selected to represent Arkaystia at Maia Song Contest 15 alongside his band in the Grand Final following the country's automatic qualification to the final due to their top 6 placement. Keir would sing his song "Squeeze Me". He finished in 25th place with 50 points, one point above last place. This marked the country's lowest placing in the contest thus far. The disappointing result would see the return of the Arkaystian national final, Arkayvizyon, to select the participant in the next contest.

Maia Song Contest 16 - 20
Following a marathon national final, Nao was selected to represent Arkaystia in Maia Song Contest 16 with her song "In The Morning". She became the first artist born outside of the country to represent the country. She originates from Qualton, although her grandparents are Arkaystian natives, before emigrating to Qualton. Nao, formally Neo Jessica, raised both the flag of Arkaystia and Qualton as she performed her reprise at the national final. "In The Morning" explores lust, love and loss, combining contemporary R&B with electronic elements. Nao qualified for the final after an extremely emotional performance. She brought Arkaystia back to the podium after finishing in 2nd place, behind neighbouring Loafousia. Nao was welcomed back to Arkaystia with open arms and the head of delegation was heralded for opening the national final to international artists with a influence in the country's music scene. Jaded were selected to represent Arkaystia in the Maia Song Contest 17 following Arkayvizyon 12. Jaded are a DJing trio made up of Nari, Jordan and Teo, known for their underground sound rooted in house and garage. Jaded finished in 18th place with 67 points. Speaking on behalf of the group, Jordan of Jaded stated they felt "let down" by the broadcaster and that "there was no real support given". The result was seen as slightly disappointing by the broadcaster and is believed to be a catalyst in pushing forward the process of a broadcaster change. M2 would take charge of its first entry to the contest for the 18th edition. It was announced that M2 would primarily select through internal selection, with artists being invited to submit entries through open call. The first artist chosen by M2 was the eclectic musician, Cosmo Sheldrake. A quirky, eccentric individual, Sheldrake plays over thirty instruments. His father, Rupert Sheldrake is a renowned biologist, and comes from a long line of church organists, and his mother, Jill Pruce, teaches Mongolian overtone chanting. Cosmo's music "encapsulates the daily world around him, with a child-like curiosity and wonder but also with a fair measure of genius", (Gallacher, 2013). Sheldrake performed his song "Wriggle" in D'unelaleh. Sheldrake qualified for the final in 9th place to continue the country's one hundred percent qualification streak. After a competitive final, "Wriggle" finished in 10th place on 85 points, making it the thirteenth time the country reached the top ten. The result was greatly received by the new broadcaster. Fangclub were internally selected to represent the country in the nineteenth edition of the contest. The band is made up of Steven King (lead vocals, guitar), Kevin Keane (bass guitar) and Dara Coleman (drums, percussion). The grunge/rock outfit performed their song "Bullet Head" in the second semi-final. The song is just two minutes long, making it the shortest entry ever sent by the country. Fangclub scraped into the final in 10th place, but managed to bring the country its second 10th place finish in a row after an anthemic performance in the Grand Final. Acid Arab won the 14th edition of Arkayvizyon to represent Arkaystia at the 20th edition. Their song "Gul l'Abi", a collaboration with A-WA qualified for the Grand Final in 10th position for the third edition in a row, maintaining the country's ever-present record in the final. They ultimately finished in 20th position with 74 points, receiving a solitary twelve points from Zvorrhybnnia.

Maia Song Contest 21 - 25
Dan Croll was internally selected by NTA to represent the country in Maia Song Contest 21 with his song "Swim", which features vocals from singer Rebecca Hawley. Croll's song is about faithfulness with another person or lack thereof. The metaphor of swimming is about cheating with another person. Croll expresses his concern about his lover's commitment throughout the song. The alternative track appears on his album, "Emerging Adulthood". Croll's qualified for the final in 9th place with a suave performance. Despite a strong performance in the final, "Swim" ultimately did not have a lasting impact on the voting audience, finishing in 23rd on 63 points. This marked the country's second lowest placement in the contest. Speaking about the result, Croll expressed that he was "disappointed" but "glad to have participated" and the support was "overwhelming" from fans. The country opted for an internal selection again for the 22nd edition. Philanthropist, singer-songwriter Shungudzo was chosen to represent Arkaystia with her song "Paper" after it topped the Arkaystian Charts for six weeks. "Paper" qualified from the first semi-final in 3rd place following a powerful and emotive performance by Shungudzo. In the Grand Final, Shungudzo elevated the performance, finishing in 5th place overall bringing the country it's first automatic qualification to the final since the 16th edition. Following the contest, Paper was announced as the biggest selling track of the year in the country by an Arkaystian native. Trevor Powers was internally selected by a panel of music professionals from home and abroad to represent the country in the Grand Final of the 23rd edition in Izola, following the expulsion of the original host country from the contest. His song "Playwright" was presented at the first ever Maia Gala Night which was held by the Arkaystian broadcaster NTA, in Karynka, Lotsira. "Playwright" finished in 13th place on 88 points, meaning the country squeaked into the top half for a second time in a row. Following recent good results, NTA decided to give Arkayvizyon another chance with its 15th edition, featuring all new artists. MARUV ran out the winner with her song "Shame On You", which had become a hit in the country earlier in the year, eventually going on to become number 1 after it won the national final. NTA became embroiled in controversy with the MBU again following their decision to include a late addition to the contest, whom was placed in the country's semi-final. The NTA stated that this was unfair on some countries that another would be automatically placed in their semi, and demanded that a redraw of the entire allocation be done, for ultimate transparency and fairness. This was turned down by the MBU, after which the NTA threatened to pull the country from the contest, or protest at the contest. MARUV qualified for the Grand Final following a rapturous performance, and was drawn to open the final in Kashykia. MARUV brought the house down with a perfected performance. She went on to win the contest with a record number of points, 199, breaking a 20 edition-long record. The song became a mega hit throughout Maia. This marked the third time that Arkaystia won the contest, and their first time on the podium since the 16th edition.Leikeli47 won the 17th edition of Arkayvizyon with her upbeat rap song "Tic Boom". At the Grand Final of Maia Song Contest 25 on home soil, Leikeli performed to rapturous applause following a slick choreographed stage show. She ultimately finished in 7th place on 120 points just outside of the automatic qualification places. This marked the third time Arkaystia hosted and also finished inside the top ten of the contest.

Maia Song Contest 26 - 30
WWWater was chosen to represent Arkaystia in the 26th edition after winning the national final in emphatic fashion. Adigéry had represented Zvorrhybnnia in the previous edition placing 4th, tying their best result in the contest. She qualified for the Grand Final by winning her semi-final following a visually stunning performance that left her a fan favourite going into the final. She ultimate finished in 4th place again on 104 points, giving Arkaystia another automatic qualification. AlunaGeorge were internally selected to represent the country in the 27th edition with their song "Cold Blooded Creatures", featuring vocals from singer & rapper Bryson Tiller. AlunaGeorge have previously competed in the national final of Arkaystia numerous times. The artists discuss their physical relationships and the way we give in to our animalistic urges. Despite reaching the top 5 of the Arkaystian Music Charts, "Cold Blooded Creatures" failed to have the same impact with the Maian voters, placing 22nd in the Grand Final. This was the first time Arkaystia fell outside the top 20 in the final since the 21st edition. Following the permanent cancellation of Arkayvizyon due to lack of public interest and a drop in voting figures, the delegation chose the band PVRIS to represent the country in the 28th edition of the contest, with their song "Death of Me". This marked the second occasion the country sent an act that had previously represented another country. PVRIS had represented Leodia in the 12th edition in their native country, Arkaystia, placing 8th. "Death of Me" qualified for the final in emphatic fashion following a dark and mysterious performance. They went on to win the contest with 177 points. This was the fourth time that Arkaystia had won the contest, and their second time in the last five editions. PVRIS were welcomed home to adoring fans, with their entry peaking at number 2 on the national charts. Soulé, Elaine Mai and Sorcha Richardson were internally selected to represent the country for the 29th edition of the contest on home soil. Their song "Butterflies", would be the first major collaboration of artists to represent the country in the Maia Song Contest.The electropop R&B number became an instant favourite in the country, topping the chart for four weeks. Speaking about the songs the girls said "It’s a song about falling in love and feels like the perfect meeting place between each of our different styles and tastes as artists and writers". The silky smooth vocals and pulsating beats make the song extremely intimate. The song finished in a respectable 20th place on 61 points. Head of Delegation Steven Kay publicly revealed he felt that the girls were "extremely robbed" and "deserved a better result for one of the best performances the contest has ever seen". Soulé revealed she would "love to represent the nation again" in an interview following the conclusion of the contest.

Contestants
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Voting History
As of #24, Arkaystia's voting history is as follows: